System and apparatus for signaling



I 1,612,146 A. NULLAU SYSTEM AND APPARATUS FOR SIGNALING Dec. 28 1926.

Filed March 10, 1923 H RH ra m 1 I a a. H m km N P u o m Q o N t mbh m m r w J on a .lm m mu h p l m 11|. 0 M a 1 n I 0 M m Patented Dec. 28, 1926.

1TH STA-T ALEXANDER NU'LLAU, 0F BERLIN-NIEDERECHONHfiUSEN, GEBIVIANY, ASSIGNOR TO GENERAL ELECTRIC CO1vIPANY, A CGRIQRATIGN OF NEW YORK.

SYSTEM AND 13.??ARATUS FOR'SIGNALING.

Application filed March 10, 1923;Ser1a1N0. 6241.233, and in GermanyMarcli 18, 1922.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide an improved system and improved apparatus for signaling in which an electrically controlledmachine is controllable from any one of a plurality of similar control stations located at difi'erent control. points. Another object of the invention is to proide a system and apparatus for signaling, whereby the signal which, is given at the controller whichhas been operated is difi'erent from the signal which is given at the other control stations, so that the control station from which the electrical machine or device has been operated is easily recognizable.

For a better understanding oi the invention, reference is had to the following specification taken in connection with the accompanying drawing wherein Fig. l is a top plan view of a. start and stop push button controller with a locking device for the stop push button in locking position, so as to give a different signal at this controller'than at the other control stations; Fig. 2 is a cross-section of'the controller of Fig. 1 taken on the section lines 2--2; Fig. 3' is a crosssection of the controller indicating the locking device for the stop push button in the released position so as to shield or screen the light emitted from the signal lamp; Fig. 4: is a detail of a push button control system for a printing press or the like in which the separately operable controllers are located at different control stations about the press or other machine to be controlled, and Fig. 5 is a very simple diagram.illustrating the iii terconnections of the stop push button switches and the interconnections ot the signal lamps of the variousstat-ions.

In electrically controlled machines, it is customary to provide an arrangement whereby the driving machine can be controlled at. various points. Such an arrangement, is very commonly usedin electrically driven printing presses. In order to directly show at the various control stations the operating condition existing with respect to the printing press, corresponding signals are arranged for at the various control stations. Thus, for example, in the case of operation of the printing presses, variously colored lights are lighted, according as to whether from the point of control the motor for threading the paper or the main driving motor is in circuit, or if thepress has been stopped. It the stopping of the press is indicated, for example, by a red lamp, then red lamps-will burn at every control station as soon as one of the controllers at a control station has been operated tostop the press. Thev operators of the machine can therefore see at once and directly that the operation '01 the press has been stopped-,even though the control station at which the stopping of the press has been eiiected cannot be seen from the other control stations. In order to discover the controlled station at which the stopping of the press has been effected, a more thorough search must be made of the various controlled stations, since the position of thepush button usually employed as the controller is only distinctly visible near the control station. In accordance with this invention, this defect is overcome and the control station at which the stopping of the press has been effected is clearly indicated, in that a different signal appears at this control station than at the other control stations. Similar incandescent lamps may be used at all of the control stations, and in order to indicate the particular control station at which the stopping or other operation of the press hasbeen effected, the locking device for locking the push button is made use of. l/Vhen the locking device is out of cooperative relation with the push button, it will; partially shield the light emanating from the lamp at that particular controller, but when the locking device is operated, the light emitted from the lamp-at that control station will not be shielded or screened.

Thus, the lamp at the controller which has been operated will burn brighter and give a different visible signal than the lamps at the other control stations.

Referring to the drawing, the push button controller or control station is provided with a start and stop push button, andlassociated with the stop push button is a locking device 10' which cooperates with the stop push button 11 so as to hold. the contract disc 12 out of engagement with the stationary contacts 13 and 14. This locking device may be held in the locking relation by inserting a locking member through the hole in the post 15. Associated with each controller is an incandescent lamp 16, the light from which is arranged to be shielded or screened by the flap 10 when the flap is out of locking engagement with the stop push button, as indicated in Fig. 3. As will be seen from this figure, that the light from the lamp will shine through the slots in the flap 10 so as to give a very much diiierent signal from the signal which is given by the light from the lamp shining freely through the opening in the top of the controller when the locking flap is in locking relation with the stop push button, as indicated in Figs. 1 and 2. Any suitable arrangement may be provided whereby the incandescent lamps at all of the control stations a, b, 0, etc., (Fig. 4:), may light when the stop push button of any one of the controllers has been operated. The conductors of the control system of the press may be carried in the cable 17, as is customary. In Figs. 2 and 3 I have indicated that the contact disc 12 is arranged to complete a circuit through the down contacts 13 and 14; when the disc is held in its lowermost position, and in Fig. 5 I have indicated that with the disc 12 in its lowermost position the circuit for controlling the motor (not shown) which drives the printing press or other device, is opened so as to stop the controlled motor by the contact disc 12 breaking engagement with the contacts 13 and 14 at the station a. This figure also indicates that with the contact disc 12 in its lowermost position, the signal lamp 16 at station a, the signal lamp 16 at station I) and the signal lamp 16 at station 0 are all connected in multiple relation across the supply circuit indicated by the plus and minus characters so that these signal lamps will all be lit. This figure also indicates that when the stop push button at any one of the stations at, b or o is depressed, the circuit for controlling the motor is opened so as to stop the motor, and the signal lamps at the various stations are all lit by reason of the engagement of the push button contact with these lower station contacts. This arrangement is merely diagrammatic and for the purpose of indicating a suitable arrangement whereby the operation of the stop push button not only effects the stopping oi the controlled motor, but also the lighting of the various signal lamps. I have not indicated a complete motor control system in which the stop push button switches are included,

ferent from the signal that has been given at all of the other control stations. Thus, in Fig. 4 the controller a has been operated and the signal lamp at this station burns freely, whereas the signal lamps at stations 7) and 0 are screened.

In accordance with the provisions of the patent statutes, 1 have described the principle and operation of my invention, together with the apparatus which I now consider to represent the best embodiment thereof, but I desire to have it understood that the apparatus shown is only illustrative, and that the invention can be carried out by other means.

WVhat I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is,-

1. In a system of signaling for indicating the intended operation of a device, a plurality of separately operable controllers in terconnected to control the device from any one of a plurality of difierent control stations, means for giving a visible signal at all the control stations to indicate the operation of any one of the controllers, and means whereby the signal which is given at the controller which has been operated is different from the signal which is given at the other control stations.

2. In a system of signaling for indicating the intended operation of a device, a plurality of separately operable controllers in-.

terconnected to control the device from any one of a plurality of different control stations, a lamp at each control station which is connected to be lit when any one of the controllers has been operated, and means whereby the signal which is given by the lamp at the controller which has been operated is different from the signal which is given by the lamps at the other control stations.

3. In a system of signaling for indicating the intended operation of a device, a plurality ot' separately operable controllers interconnected to control the device from any one of a plurality of different control stations, a lamp associated with each controller which is connected to be lit when any one of the controllers has been operated, and means for locking the controller which has been operated and for altering the signal which is given by the lamp at the controller which has been operated, whereby the signal given by the lamp at the controller which has been operated is dilierent from the signal given by the lamp at the other controllers.

4. In a system of signaling for indicating the intended operation of a device, a plurality of separately operable controllers interconnected to control the device from any one of a plurality of different control stations, a lamp associated with each controller and connected to be lit when any one of the controllers has been operated, a locking device for each controller arranged to normally shield a portion of the light emitted from the lamp at the control station when the looking device is out of locking relation With the controller, the said locking device arranged to remove the shield from the lamp at the particular control station when the locking device is in operative relation, whereby the signal given at the controller Which has been operated is different from the signal Which 1 is given at the other control stations.

In Witness Whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this twelfth day of February, 1923.

ALEXANDER NULLAU. 

